# 1908 in paleontology

Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1908.

## Arthropoda
### Newly named insects

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Anabrus caudeli | Sp nov | | Cockerell | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | A platycleidine tettigoniid Mormon cricket relative | Anabrus caudeli |
| Cecidomyia(?) pontaniiformis | Sp nov | | Cockerell | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | A cecidomyiine gall midge gall Gall on Myrica drymeia | Cecidomyia pontaniiformis gall on Myrica drymeia |
| Dryobius miocenicus | Sp nov | | Beutenmüller & Cockerell | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | A cerambycine longhorned beetle | Dryobius miocenicus |
| Electromyrmex | Gen et sp nov | nom nudum | Wheeler | Lutetian | Baltic amber | Europe | A nyrmicine ant. Type species E. klebsi Validly described in 1910 | Electromyrmex klebsi |
| Eriophyes(?) beutenmulleri | Sp nov | | Cockerell | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | An eriophyid gall mite gall Described from galls on a possible Salix leaf | Eriophyes beutenmulleri galls on Salix sp. |
| Glossina oligocena | Comb nov | | (Scudder) Cockerell | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | A Glossinid tsetse fly moved from Paloestrus oligocenus (1892) | Glossina oligocenus |
| Lithogryllites | Gen et sp nov | | Cockerell | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | A cricket relative The type species is L. lutzii | Lithogryllites lutzii |
| Necrodes primaevus | Sp nov | | Beutenmüller & Cockerell | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | A silphine carrion beetle | Necrodes primaevus |
| Nymphalites scudderi | Sp nov | | Beutenmüller & Cockerell | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | A nymphaline brush-footed butterfly | Nymphalites scudderi |
| Panorpa arctiiformis | Sp nov | | Cockerell | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | A scorpionfly | Panorpa arctiiformis |
| Phenacolestes | Gen et sp nov | | Cockerell | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | A dysagrionine odonate The type species is P. mirandus Also tentatively included is P.(?) parallelus | Phenacolestes mirandus |
| Phymatodes volans | Sp nov | | Beutenmüller & Cockerell | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | A callidiine cerambycine longhorned beetle | Phymatodes volans |
| Polystoechotes piperatus | Sp nov | jr synonym | Cockerell | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | An ithonid giant lacewing Moved to Propsychopsis piperatus in 1943 moved to Polystoechotites piperatus in 2006 | Polystoechotites piperatus |

## Archosauromorphs
### Newly named basal archosauromorphs

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Scaphonyx | | Synonym of Hyperodapedon | Woodward | Late Triassic (Carnian) | Santa Maria Formation | Brazil | A hyperodapedontid rhynchosaur. | |

### Newly named dinosaurs

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.
| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Ankylosaurus | Valid taxon | Barnum Brown | Late Cretaceous (Lancian) | Hell Creek Formation Lance Formation Scollard Formation | Canada  United States | An ankylosaurid. | Ankylosaurus |
| "Gigantosaurus" | Preoccupied. | Eberhard Fraas | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian) | Tendaguru Formation | Tanzania | Preoccupied by Harry Govier Seeley, 1869 renamed Tornieria. | Ankylosaurus |
| Halticosaurus | Nomen dubium. | Friedrich von Huene | Late Triassic (early Norian) | Stubensandstein | Germany | A coelophysoid theropod. | Ankylosaurus |
| "Pachysaurus" | Preoccupied. | Friedrich von Huene | Late Triassic (middle Norian) | Trossingen Formation | Germany | Preoccupied by Fitzinger, 1843 renamed Pachysauriscus. | Ankylosaurus |
| Sellosaurus | Valid taxon | Friedrich von Huene | Late Triassic (early Norian) | Stubensandstein | Germany | A plateosaurid sauropodomorph. | Ankylosaurus |

## Synapsids
### Non-mammalian

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Alopecodon | Valid | Broom | Middle Permian | Middle Abrahamskraal Formation | South Africa | A scylaosaurid theriodont. | Tetraceratops |
| Kannemeyeria | Valid | Seeley | Early-Middle Triassic (late Olenekian to Anisian) | Burgersdorp Formation | South Africa | A kannemeyeriid dicynodont. | Tetraceratops |
| Tetraceratops | Valid | Matthew | Early Permian | Arroyo Formation | US | Possibly a basal therapsid. | Tetraceratops |
| Trochosuchus | Nomen dubium | Broom | Middle Permian | Middle Abrahamskraal Formation | South Africa | Named from fossils belonging to Lycosuchidae. | Tetraceratops |